What type of insulin is Humalog?
Humalog (insulin lispro) is a fast-acting insulin. It begins working to lower blood sugar levels about 15 minutes after injection, reaches a peak in about 1 hour, and continues to work for 2 to 4 hours. Humalog helps to control the blood sugar spikes that may occur during mealtime. It is taken within 15 minutes before eating or right after eating a meal.
Humalog (insulin lispro) is given by a subcutaneous (under the skin) injection and should generally be used in regimens with an intermediate- or long-acting insulin. Longer-acting insulins are also used to help to control blood sugar levels in-between meals and at night.
Humalog may also be given by subcutaneous infusion using an external insulin pump or given as an intravenous infusion after dilution and under medical supervision.
In general, insulin is a hormone that works by lowering levels of glucose (sugar) in the blood in patients with type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. There are different types of insulin to help cover the mealtime and day-long needs for blood sugar control.
Always follow your healthcare provider’s instructions on when and how often you should check your blood sugar levels.
What are the types of insulins?
These terms are used to describe how an insulin works:
- The onset of an insulin is how soon the insulin starts working.
- The insulin peak is when it is working most effectively and levels are their highest.
- The duration of insulin is how long the insulin lasts in the body.
Insulin is classified according to how quickly and how long it works in the body to control blood sugar levels:
- Fast-acting insulin: onset usually 15 to 30 minutes, with a peak at 30 minutes to 2 hours, and a duration up to 2 to 4 hours. Fast-acting insulin is used to lower blood sugar levels after meals. Examples include Humalog, Apidra, and Novolog.
- Short-acting (regular) insulin: onset is usually 30 minutes to one hour, with a peak at 2 to 3 hours, and a duration up to 3 to 6 hours. Short-acting insulin can cover insulin needs for meals eaten within 30 minutes after injection. Examples include Humulin R and Novolin R.
- Intermediate-acting insulin: onset is usually in 2 to 4 hours, with a peak at 4 to 12 hours, and a duration up to 12 to 18 hours. This type of insulin can cover your insulin needs between meals and during the night. Examples include Humulin N and Novolin N.
- Long-acting insulin: onset usually in 1 to 4 hours, with little to no peak, and a duration up to 24 hours or longer. Long-acting insulins manage blood sugar levels at night and between meals. Examples include Basaglar, Lantus, Levemir, Toujeo and Tresiba.
Humalog is manufactured by Eli Lilly.
Learn more: What is the difference between Admelog and Humalog?
This is not all the information you need to know about Humalog for safe and effective use and does not take the place of talking to your doctor about your treatment. Review the full Humalog information here, and discuss any questions you have with your doctor or other health care provider.
Related questions
- What is A1C? Normal vs dangerous levels, and how to lower It
- Toujeo vs Lantus - What's the difference between them?
- How and where should I inject insulin?
References
- About Humalog. Eli Lilly. Accessed May 12, 2021 at https://www.humalog.com/fast-acting-mealtime-insulin#about-mealtime-insulin
- Humalog (insulin lispro) product inforamtion. Eli Lilly. Indianapolis, IN. Accessed May 12, 2021 at https://uspl.lilly.com/humalog/humalog.html#pi
Read next
Can Trulicity be used with insulin?
Trulicity can be used with insulin, but because the combination of Trulicity and insulin increases the risk of low blood sugar levels (hypoglycemia), the dosage of insulin may need to be reduced. Continue reading
Is Trulicity a form of insulin?
Trulicity is not a form of insulin, it mimics the effects of GLP-1 a naturally occurring hormone that stimulates insulin secretion. Trulicity is only suitable for people with type 2 diabetes who still have functioning insulin-producing cells in their pancreas. Continue reading
What are the different types of insulin?
Insulins are usually grouped as fast-acting, intermediate-acting, or long-acting. Within these groups, they can be further classified as human insulin and human insulin analogs. An insulin analog is a human insulin that has one or two amino acids changed which affects how quickly it is absorbed after injection and how fast or slow it acts. Insulin analogs are usually given within 15 minutes of a meal or at the same time as food. Continue reading
See also:
Wegovy
Wegovy (semaglutide) an FDA-approved weekly injection for weight loss and to reduce heart risks ...
Rybelsus
Rybelsus tablets are used to improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes, and may ...
Ozempic
Learn about Ozempic (semaglutide) for type 2 diabetes treatment, weight management, cardiovascular ...
Zepbound
Zepbound (tirzepatide) is an FDA-approved weekly injection for weight loss and obstructive sleep ...
Trulicity
Trulicity is an injectable diabetes medicine that is used together with diet and exercise to ...
Lantus
Lantus is a long acting form of insulin used to treat type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Learn about side ...
Tresiba
Tresiba (insulin degludec) is used to treat diabetes mellitus. Includes Tresiba side effects ...
Victoza
Victoza helps control blood sugar levels and reduce the risk of serious heart problems in people ...
Levemir
Levemir (insulin detemir) is a long acting insulin used to treat diabetes in adults and children ...
Related medical questions
- When does insulin lispro peak / how long does it last?
- Is Toujeo a fast or long-acting insulin?
- What is insulin icodec?
- How fast does insulin lispro work?
- Is Admelog fast-acting insulin?
- Levemir vs Lantus: What's the difference?
- What is the difference between regular insulin and lispro (Humalog)?
- Humalog vs Novolog (Novalog): What's the difference?
- Are Humulin and Humalog the same thing?
- Are glucagon and glycogen the same thing?
- Toujeo vs Tresiba - What's the difference between them?
- Is there a list of drugs that require cold storage?
- Humulin N vs Humulin R - What's the difference?
- Is Novolin the same as Humulin?
- How long can Humulin be unrefrigerated?
- Does Tresiba cause weight gain?
- When is the best time to administer Humalog insulin?
- Is Humulin fast or long-acting insulin?
- How long does Humulin last?
- Insulin vs Glucagon - What do they have in common?
- When does NPH insulin peak?
- Should I be Concerned about Prediabetes?
- Which type of insulin has the longest duration of action?
- What's the buzz on Ozempic and Wegovy?
Drug information
Related support groups
- Insulin (88 questions, 223 members)
- Humalog (17 questions, 46 members)
- Insulin Lispro (13 questions, 7 members)
- Diabetes, Type 2 (502 questions, 1,428 members)
- Diabetes, Type 1 (81 questions, 143 members)